Wednesday, February 08, 2006

PAULcast - what would paul write or say to us today?

having just finished "searching for God know's what" by donald miller, i can't help but repeat a question he left me with towards the end. if paul were to write a letter to us today, what would he write?
i think paul would do a podcast, something that reaches the masses or perhaps a public speaking tour, mass email or something? i feel that he would be so convicted to tell us what God had put on his heart that he would do all of the above...
but how would he look at us?
would he "not [stop] giving thanks for [us]" (ephesians 1:16 niv) because of our faith? or would he write to us as he did the people of galatia and say that "[he] is astonished that [we] are so quickly deserting the one who called [us] by grace of Christ" (galatians 1:6 niv)?
we, meaning, citizens of the earth that was created by God... not just the united states, the western hemisphere or whatnot, but we being christians on earth. if paul could write a letter to us i feel he would be unfavorable but would begin praising God for His faith and love for His people. being human we are not perfect and paul would humble us, don't you think? we live in a world that is all about power and winning and being the better person, to accept any constructive criticism we would have to be knocked down and rehumanize ourselves to understand the full concept of what this man would try to teach us, rather what God would want to teach us through his words.
i feel paul would mention part of what he wrote to the romans regarding judgment. "you, therefore have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. so when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will esacape God's judgment? or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?" (romans 2:1-4 niv). we all judge, some more than others. we begin this at an early age, remember in kindergarten, there was always the smelly kid? the cute one, the funny one, the one who couldn't speak english and the one who didn't talk at all? we are created to notice differences and then judge upon them. we strive to be as far away from the wallflower or nerd as possible, so we begin to judge. this trait just grows as we progress through school and life. i feel paul would ask, would you want to become a part of a group that judges sins and differences and urges you to conform? i know that this is not what christianity is all about, but from the outside looking in, it can come off that way... i know that Jesus doesn't teach us to judge against sinners, but answer this for me... would you be friends with someone who was pregnant and not married, lied, gossiped, was gay, had an affair, was a different race, was poor, was rich, had an abortion, had aids, was a democrat, was a republican, was a communist, etc. (the list goes on). i'm sure at least one of those makes you uncomfortable, and it's not your fault... but we judge, it's engrained in our heads and it's like a horrible pimple that won't go away...
if we were more accepting of one another, wouldn't the world just work more smoothly?
paul says in his first letter to the corinthians, "when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears" (1 corinthians 13:10 niv). these six words amaze me. because we as humans are imperfect and we strive to be perfect but i feel as if our definition of perfect is becoming what it shouldn't be and withering away like the pedals on a rose after it has been cut from its source of life. perfect can be looking beautiful, being the best athlete, being great at an instrument or just simply living for God. which do you think gets overlooked more often?
i feel paul would conclude urging the christians of the world we live in today to really stop and listen to what God is telling us, what we are working so hard to quiet in our hearts and minds. we are so busy trying to prove that we (as christians) are right that we leave so many people behind. for example, i may want to go to california and so may someone else. i can take a plane but they may feel more inclined to drive, in the end don't we both end up in california? what i am trying to say is that not everyone sees the world the way i do, why would i force them to believe something i do the way that i do? it's impossible. but who knows what would happen if we decide to go on a road trip? "the body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. so it is with Christ. for we were all baptized by one spirit into one body-whether Jews or Grees, slave or free-and we were all given the one Spirit to drink" (1 corinthians 12:12-13 niv). we are all to "be completely humle and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. make every effor to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" (ephesians 4:2-3 niv).
the world is a tough place and as my roommate had mentioned tonight, it's not cool to be christian. who the heck cares if it's cool? if we try to make it cool then the people who are looking for it will probably turn away.

and i know for a FACT that i am no where near perfect and i fall a lot. but in the end, i have NO CLUE what paul would write to the world. and in no way is my assumption of what he would write based on hours of research... i don't know the bible well enough to have used the best excerpts to prove my point. all i am saying is that, in reaction to the question that donald miller placed into my head while reading his book, i used to be a non-christian who looked at christians like they were crazy people who didn't practice what they preached and brought hurt into lives, including mine. christianity doesn't need to be popular, but rather just reach out to those who were as lost as i was just a few years ago.

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